A Little Village

With my husband working overseas, it can be quite overwhelming raising three kids under the age of six (it can be an overwhelming task even WITH my husband around). But it’s during these times that the old adage, “it takes a village to raise a child,” glare with blinding truth.

My oldest daughter started kindergarten this year. She’s only there for 2½ hours a day, five days a week, but so much is compressed into those days, and it’s not all just scholastic. My daughter’s teacher heavily stresses respect for self and others, and finding more pleasant approaches to handing problems other than the often pugnacious outbursts frequented by kids her age. After eight days, I have noticed my once sharp tongued daughter now asks her brother nicely to do things, like moving out of her way or to stop doing something she doesn’t like. She also has begun to look more for the good in others, like her brother, instead of continuously pointing out their faults. I myself have been working on getting her to be more sympathetic by changing how I speak and act around her, and being a decent roll model, but knowing I have the support of her teacher in helping to strengthen this behavior is encouraging. The amount of appreciation I have for her teacher’s efforts is almost breathtaking, considering I am not one to easily accept help, even from such an indirect route.

These days I often feel alone in my endeavors to raise my children. Without the huge support of my parents that I had before I moved to Washington, my stress level has gone up considerably. But if we are willing to accept help, we can find it, even if it comes from some unexpected places.